Wangnov/Codex-App-Manager

What it is

Codex App Manager is a cross-platform desktop program that handles installing, updating, and uninstalling the official OpenAI Codex desktop app. You run this manager, and it takes care of the Codex app itself — you never download Codex separately. The manager does not build or modify Codex; it only manages the install and update experience around it.

What it does

• Installs Codex — detects whether Codex is already installed on your computer and plans the right installation.
• Updates Codex — on macOS it downloads only the difference between versions (a "delta" package), verifies the signature byte-for-byte, replaces the old version, and rolls back automatically if something goes wrong. On Windows it fetches MSIX or portable builds, stages the update, and runs a health check afterward.
• Uninstalls Codex — removes it cleanly.
• Launches Codex — one-click start.
• Updates itself — the manager also keeps itself up to date through its own mirror system (see below).
• Themes Codex — it is the official runtime for the awesome-codex-skins library. Users can apply skins to a running Codex instantly (try-on) or persistently. Skins are injected over Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) and do not modify any app files, so the app's signature stays valid.

Platforms

• macOS: Apple Silicon (arm64) and Intel (x64)
• Windows: x64 and ARM64

Installation

• macOS (recommended): brew install --cask wangnov/tap/codex-app-manager
• Direct download: from GitHub Releases, or from a mirror link (codexapp.agentsmirror.com) that works in mainland China without a VPN.

How it stays reachable in China

The manager and Codex downloads share one short link (codexapp.agentsmirror.com). A Cloudflare Worker routes traffic automatically: global users get files from Cloudflare R2, while users in mainland China are redirected to a presigned URL on IHEP S3 (the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences). Because update signatures sign the installer bytes (not the URL), a byte-identical mirror copy stays valid.

Self-update order

1. Its own mirror (codexapp.agentsmirror.com/manager/latest.json)
2. GitHub fallback (github.com/Wangnov/Codex-App-Manager/releases/latest/download/latest.json)

So it can self-update without depending on GitHub at all.

Signing status

• macOS: Developer ID signed + Apple notarized → Gatekeeper will not block first launch.
• Windows: the installer is not Authenticode signed yet (SmartScreen may warn); the self-update package does carry a Tauri updater signature that verifies only the downloaded bytes, not Windows publisher trust. The README says a paid cloud-HSM certificate is being planned but is not yet in place, and current downloads must not be described as signed.

Tech stack

• Frontend: React 19, TypeScript, Vite, GSAP (animations)
• Shell: Tauri v2 (frameless popover window)
• Backend: Rust command layer, with two separate engine crates: codex-mac-engine (Sparkle) and codex-win-engine (MSIX/portable)

What it does not do

• Does not modify or repackage Codex installers.
• Does not bypass OpenAI/Microsoft authorization or local install policies.
• Does not forge or recompute Sparkle signatures — official signatures are copied verbatim.
• Is not a replacement for official OpenAI or Microsoft Store distribution.

Language support

11 languages, auto-selected from the system locale (including Arabic, right-to-left).

License

MIT. The project has no affiliation or endorsement relationship with OpenAI or Microsoft.